Order of The Cat Who Books
The Cat Who is a series of cozy mystery novels by American author Lilian Jackson Braun. The series is also known as the Jim Qwilleran Feline Whodunnits. Lilian created the series when her own cat suddenly fell to its death. The main character is Jim “Qwill” Qwilleran, a reporter who owns two Siamese cats named Koko and Yum-Yum. Koko has a “sixth sense,” which enables him to assist Qwill in solving mysteries.
The Cat Who series began with The Cat Who Could Read Backwards in 1966. After the third installment, there would not be another novel in the series until 1986. Even with the break, there ended up being 29 books (plus three collections) in the series, ending with The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers. There was supposedly going to be a 30th book, The Cat Who Smelled Smoke, but it was cancelled. Below is a list of Lillian Jackson Braun’s The Cat Who books in order of when they were originally released (and in chronological order):
Publication Order of Cat Who... Books
| The Cat Who Could Read Backwards | (1966) |    |
| The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern | (1967) | |
| The Cat Who Turned On And Off | (1968) | |
| The Cat Who Saw Red | (1986) | |
| The Cat Who Played Brahms | (1987) | |
| The Cat Who Played Post Office | (1987) | |
| The Cat Who Knew Shakespeare | (1988) | |
| The Cat Who Sniffed Glue | (1988) | |
| The Cat Who Went Underground | (1989) | |
| The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts | (1990) | |
| The Cat Who Lived High | (1990) | |
| The Cat Who Knew a Cardinal | (1991) | |
| The Cat Who Moved a Mountain | (1992) | |
| The Cat Who Wasn't There | (1992) | |
| The Cat Who Went into the Closet | (1993) | |
| The Cat Who Came to Breakfast | (1994) | |
| The Cat Who Blew the Whistle | (1994) | |
| The Cat Who Said Cheese | (1995) | |
| The Cat Who Tailed a Thief | (1997) | |
| The Cat Who Sang for the Birds | (1998) | |
| The Cat Who Saw Stars | (1999) | |
| The Cat Who Robbed a Bank | (1999) | |
| The Cat Who Smelled a Rat | (2001) | |
| The Cat Who Went Up the Creek | (2002) | |
| The Cat Who Brought Down the House | (2003) | |
| The Cat Who Talked Turkey | (2004) | |
| The Cat Who Went Bananas | (2004) | |
| The Cat Who Dropped a Bombshell | (2006) | |
| The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers | (2007) | |
| The Cat Who Smelled Smoke is book #30 but has yet to be released. | ||
Publication Order of Cat Who Short Story Collections
| The Cat Who Had 14 Tales | (1988) | |
| Short and Tall Tales / Qwilleran's Short and Tall Tales | (2002) | |
| The Private Life of the Cat Who... | (2003) | |
I want to know what number is the cat who killed was it’s not in the line up was it left out for a reason?
Hi Kim – that book wasn’t part of this series. It was a parody book written by Robert Kaplow.
I just finished #29 and am still peeved about Polly’s exit from the narrative. I wonder if LJB was developing a storyline that had Qwilleran getting on with his life, perhaps with Barbara who had modern furniture, etc. I thought Polly was often insensitive, but maybe I’m just sad the the story has ended.
Too bad the 30th book was never published. The storyline with Polly Duncan ended very abruptly and it seems like there was more that might have been said. I know it didn’t sit well with my wife. Perhaps there were documents left that may have indicated what would have happened in #30 that someone could flesh out.
Oh well.
I was also shocked when Polly was deleted from the series. I was very disappointed that Polly wrote a letter rather than calling Qwill. But in retrospect Polly was never warm and fuzzy. Polly even abandoned her cats, I realize that she probably couldn’t bring them to Paris but she could have flown home to wrap up her affairs and told Qwill face to face what she was doing. Oh well I hope Barbara is warmer and more sensitive than Polly.Better luck with this lady Qwill.
I am currently collecting all of The Cat Who series second hand soft cover publications and they will have a small bookshelf all to themselves. The investment in these paperbacks is canny as (like Agatha Christies works) one can begin at the beginning once more and lose none of the charm.
One summer my daughter and I read all of the series that our local library held. We’d sit at the dinner table talking about the characters like they were next door neighbors. My husband was a bit confused when we’d mention people he didn’t know but we had so much fun.
I discovered these books years ago and have read them all and read them again when life gets complicated, always a pleasure and lightens my heart.
I have always enjoyed reading, and cannot stand it when books, and other great items end up trashed in dumpsters/landfills. I saw thousands of both brand new, and used books in dumpsters at a Monrovia recycling plant. They refused to sell me any, and it made me sick. Imagine how great it would be if schools, libraries, and thrift stores, etc.could have received all those great books? We live in such a sick world full of very greedy,selfish,rotten people.
I have read everyone of the cat who series and also owned everything from the series, it is my all time favorite series and i sure do miss not having new ones to read
Do you know how to get the audios. I have several andthey are fabulous. But I haven’t been able to get they rest
Try listening to the cat who ate Danish modern It is a scream with professional actir, George guidall doing all the parts!!!